Utah May House 1,000 Hurricane Refugees

[Judi Lynn]

Utah May House 1,000 Hurricane Refugees
Utah Ready to Accept Up to 1,000 Hurricane Refugees, Governor Says
By DEBBIE HUMMEL Associated Press Writer
The Associated Press

SALT LAKE CITY Aug 31, 2005 — Utah is ready to accept up to 1,000 people displaced by Hurricane Katrina, Gov. Jon Huntsman said Wednesday. The state of Louisiana asked for help housing the refugees, he said.

"We did a quick calculation as to what we could accommodate immediately and we came up with 1,000," Huntsman said. "I'm glad Utah is seen as a community that will reach out charitably."

The displaced residents would likely stay in housing at the Army National Guard's Camp Williams in Draper or at an overflow shelter in Midvale, both Salt Lake City suburbs.

The state can provide such basic services as shelter, food, clothing and schooling for children.
(snip/...)

http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory?id=1085464

[phusion]

1. The American diaspora begins...

yikes.

[liberaliraqvet26]

2. any more would double the african american population ...

of Utah. But I guess it's a nice symbolic gesture. More states should do the same.

[Ilsa]

3. Suburbs, huh? Think there might be a liquor store available also?

Utah is a beautiful state, and visiting long term might be really cool if there isn't too much religious pressure.

[kestrel91316]

10. Not to worry about any religious pressure ....................

the true believing mormons won't come within 100 yards of any of those poor southern blacks. Not a chance.

[Sean Reynolds]

13. I love the hate from this website sometimes.

I bet ya' if it were California no one here would be making jokes about the general population, right?

Oh, but it's conservative Utah! GOD NO! Not those damn Mormons.

They hate blacks!

They're racist!

Man, sometimes I wonder how so many people can claim they're open-minded, yet have their mind closed on so many subjects. I'm a Utahn, and know some very compassionate Mormons.

I bet you also didn't know that the Catholic Diocese here in Salt Lake brings thousands of Somalian war refugees to Salt Lake every year to live here because the city is very accepting and hate-free.

[QC]

15. Some of us here could teach the freepers how to hate.

Disaster brings out the best in some people, and, unfortunately, the worst in others.

[kestrel91316]

16. I've lived in Utah, dear. I know all about the attitude toward

non-whites in Utah (on the part of the conservative mormon element). I am also aware that SLC is much more cosmopolitan than the rest of the state.

My post referred specifically to the attitudes of the radical racist fundie mormons, who are more common than Utah likes to admit. i said nothing about catholics.

[Sean Reynolds]

17. You missed the entire point.

Catholics bring Somalians here because they're so welcomed by the entire population. I don't know when you last lived in Utah, but hate really isn't apart of our culture. I think it's crap that you'd shit on an entire state because of a "few" bigots. In the end, Salt Lake and Utah is quickly changing as a state. Its population numbers show that there is a large Hispanic community growing here and I don't believe they're hated against because they're non-white.

Are there racists? Sure. But you'll find them in EVERY state. Utah, as a whole, is pretty accepting to people of other colors. Was it always like that? Not really, but it HAS changed.

These cheap shots aren't cool.

[jessicazi]

20. Perhaps people are unaware of the millions of dollars

the Mormon Church gives to help those who need it. Rip on Mormons for their conservative views, but please pause before saying Mormons are racist or they don't care about others. Their "welfare" system is truly extraordinary and helps millions of people a year.

I can't believe how many anti-Mormon comments I see on DU.

[pelagius]

39. I agree with you...

I've had many positive experiences with Utahns in general and Mormons in particular. Overall, its a very friendly, helpful state in my view.

[jessicazi]

19. I am white and Mormon

and I have a daughter who is half-black, so WATCH the remarks made about Mormons. More non-American Mormons than there are American Mormons.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

12. and

the skiing will be much better.

Hey, as long as they're there, why not?

[Ilsa]

32. I was wrong. I was generalizing based on the elected representation

to Congress and erroneously assumed some things hadd never changed. I also had based my comment on what my sister had said about having a hard time finding a restaurant to serve her caffeinated drinks or a beer when she visited about five years ago.

Hatred? No. Rascism? Where?

[Sean Reynolds]

36. Well I don't know where your sister visited.

But I can tell you it's not difficult at all getting caffeinated drinks or beer in Salt Lake City.

Maybe Provo, but that's 40 or so miles south of here.

Don't forget that Salt Lake City's mayor is a Democrat. And every elected official representing Salt Lake City in the Utah House/Senate ARE Democrats. Not ONE Republican.

[LynzM]

4. Glad to hear it.

We need to help people spread out to a level where communities can accomodate them. You can't just dump 30,000 people into one community and expect it to function well. People need to start volunteering to host people in their extra space, or make extra space to host where possible. I'd do it. You?

[aquart]

7. People have started.

<http://neworleans.craigslist.org/com/>

[LynzM]

9. Thanks for that link

I'm going to put a list together of stuff I can give/offer.

[CoffeeCat]

11. I just asked my husband if he would host a family...

...and he said yes.

I would be interested in finding out more about this. Definitely.

We would consider hosting a family.

[VegasWolf]

5. As long as they can prove to Utah that they are not gay! nt

[stevedeshazer]

6. Excellent.

Let's make it proportional. Utah has about 0.5% of the US population. If every state made the same contribution, we could house 1.5 MILLION refugees.

The Federal government is kaput. Our states will have to do this alone.

[Jacobin]

8. As an added bonus, they get to have several wives!!

Sorry...couldn't help it.

good on Utah.

[jayctravis]

14. This isn't a bad idea.

There are people who won't be able to live in New Orleans again. Many other states have space and people who would be willing to work in a Habitat for Humanity type project.

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

18. Refugees? Are not these people Americans in America?

Or am I missing something?

[Igel]

24. Yes. And they're taking refuge, fleeing from something.

That makes them refugees.

Not all refugees cross borders. Those just the ones that get most international attention because they're suddenly someone else's problem. So-called internal refugees are frequently a bigger problem in many instances. (The 'internal' part only serves to say they're not international, hence international agencies usually don't have them as high on their radar.)

[jessicazi]

21. Sorry for all of the posts, but I want to clarify some things...

Assistance provided by the Mormon Church from 1985-2004:

Cash Donations: $134.3 million
Value of Material Assistance: $601.2 million
Countries served: 159
Food Distributed: 47,410 tons
Medical Equipment Distributed: 6,670 tons
Surplus Clothing: 63,404 tons
Educational Supplies: 5,563 tons

Keep in mind this is what the Mormon Church is doing. The individual members are also contributing.

Mormons, for the most part are good people, who try to love their neighbors and help those who need help. Yes, there are those who might be racist or sexist, but there are people like that in every religion.

FYI: Salt Lake City has a huge gay population.

"The same researchers put Salt Lake City in the top 6 percent of cities where gay and lesbian couples were likely to live.

“Clearly, Salt Lake City has a high concentration,” Gates told The Associated Press.
http://kutv.com/topstories/local_story_161181301.html

[Sean Reynolds]

22. Thank you Jess!

I see you're in Idaho, do you get down to Salt Lake City much? I bet people would be surprised at how liberal SLC is.

I mean, just look at the Bush protest a couple weeks ago. 3,000+ people went.

[jessicazi]

23. Hey Sean

I do go down to SLC every now and then. Yes, SLC is pretty liberal, for Utah. Aside from "temple square", SLC is pretty similar to most urban areas. Pocatello is actually pretty liberal, for Idaho. With the university here, we have a nice Dem population and can easily get Dems into political offices. I am hoping to either move to Seattle (where I am from) or SLC when I graduate next year!

[Sean Reynolds]

25. Sweet, are you originally from Idaho?

Idaho is another state that gets a bad rep. I know a lot of people think it's filled with nothing but militia groups and racists, when Boise is a very vibrant city.

[jessicazi]

26. I am originally from

Seattle. I came to Idaho to attend BYU-Idaho for three years, then I transferred to Idaho State to finish up my Bachelor's and I am now in grad school here. I have not come across any militia groups or white supremacist groups. I know there are some close to the Utah border, and some up north closer to the Montana border, as well as the ones in Northern Idaho. There is a highly active NAACP group here, as well as a college NAACP, College Democrats, Idaho Progressive Student Alliance, college Amnesty International, etc...
Are you from SLC? Did you hear Dean speak in SLC back in July? He was awesome and a few thousand showed up, more than they expected!!!

[Sean Reynolds]

28. Yea, I'm from SLC.

I didn't see Dean speak as the Utes Spring Game was going on that same day (Ha!). But I've met him before when he came to Salt Lake during his campaign.

[boise1]

33. Thanks, Sean

Boise and Idaho in general get dumped on a lot by those who have never been here. It usually takes only one visit for them to want to live here, though.

[lwin]

27. And it's hands down the REDDEST state in the nation

Shrub loving morons. Big deal, 1,000 people. With all the land and resources they have, it should be at least 10,000.

[Name removed]

29. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Name removed]

30. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[lwin]

31. bahaha

Both of our comments removed. I guess we both need step back, and dial down the rhetoric.

[Bridget Burke]

41. So I'm sure California will be doing much better.

Keep us posted!

[TeeYiYi]

34. So many cheap shots . . . so WHAT IS YOUR STATE DOING? . . .

In this time of inconceivable sadness and desperation, it is difficult for me to believe some of the cheap shots and attacks on Utah in this thread. So, to the people who felt the need to belittle Utah for flying 1000 suffering people here today . . . WHAT IS YOUR STATE DOING TO HELP THE HOMELESS, SICK AND DYING PEOPLE OF LOUISIANA, MISSISSIPPI AND ARKANSAS? WHAT?

TYY:grr:

[Sean Reynolds]

35. Thanks TeeYiYi

:hug:

[TeeYiYi]

38. .

:hug:

TYY:cry:

[Arkana]

37. Well, that's nice of them.

Probably the only good thing the state of Utah has done in 5 years--except the protests in SLC.

[anotherdrew]

40. FEMA has lots of camps ready (suposedly) lets see if they get used

[WhiteTara]

42. Whew! that's a relief now only

a couple of million left to go!

[mike923]

45. New Orleans has a populate of 500K

most of which took the evacuation notices seriously. There are certainly thousands who did not evacuate, and are facing the consequences. But i'd jump off a bridge if it numbered in the millions.

[Cato1]

43. How many refugees....

...California taking? What about Massachusetts?

[GoddessOfGuinness]

44. Good for them...

Can they provide employment too?